Listen Listen – Definitive Collection - Merry Go Round

Of all the cult west coast 1960's groups, perhaps the most talked about and referenced over the last few years have been The Merry Go Round, though bizarrely, the last reissue of their work was a Rhino vinyl best of in 1984!
Boy genius Emmit Rhodes left the drum seat in The Palace Guard to front his own band recruited from the disbanding Gene Clark Group among others. Signing to A&M they quickly scored two hits "Live" and "You're A Very Lovely Woman", and a superb album, getting Emmit covers by such as Fairport Convention, before themselves disbanding as Emmit became more and more interested in recording in his home studio than touring. They had, however, cut a large quantity of material, and when Emmitt briefly became a solo star with his home recorded albums on Dunhill, some of it was released by A&M.
Here for the first time ever, is a comprehensive anthology of the work of this most enigmatic of LA pop groups - one whose links to Gene Clark, The Grass Roots, Paul McCartney, Curt Boettcher and Herb Alpert (on whose 1967 TV special they featured) emerge in the detailed notes. A superb collection and one of the greatest releases of the year, I'll bet!

Live / Time Will Show the Wiser / On Your Way Out / Gonna Fight the War / Had to Run Around / We're in Love / You're a Very Lovely Woman / Where Have You Been All of My Life / Early in the Morning / Low Down (Kato) / Clown's No Good / Gonna Leave You Alone (Kato/Rhodes) / Mother Earth / Pardon Me / Textile Factory / Someone Died / Come Ride, Come Ride / Let's All Sing / Holly Park / Mary Will You Take My Hand / The Man He Was / In Days Of Old / 'Til The Day After / Saturday Night / Time Will Show The Wiser (45 version) / She Laughed Loud / Listen, Listen / Missing You / Highway

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The Alan Bown!

Released 29/03/10. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of the debut re-mastered edition of the classic 1969 album The Alan Bown! by celebrated Jazz and Rock trumpeter and arranger Alan Bown and his band. This album was recorded during his group s transition from one of Britain's finest Soul outfits to a leading Jazz Rock band with Progressive influences.
The band would later be noted for two of the finest vocalists of their generation, namely Jess Roden and Robert Palmer, passing through their ranks, along with Saxophonist John Helliwell who would later be a key member of Supertramp.

Ginger Baker is without doubt one of the most famous Rock Drummers ever - forming and playing in the worlds first super group "Cream" with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. This is Ginger's first official release since 1994 when he released BBM-Baker Bruce and Gary Moore. This Airforce album was originally released in 1970 a year after the demise of Cream. A real gem, the cover reads as a who's who of musicians; including Steve Winwood, Denny Laine, Rick Grech, Graham Bond, as well as being engineered by Roy Thomas Baker who went onto produce Queen.

•The Mike Cotton Sound started life as an acclaimed trad-jazz band before evolving into a jazzy Mod/R&B combo in 1963.

•Issued in 1964, the band’s eponymous debut album is now a legendary rarity, with copies changing hands for up to £600. This is the first time it has ever been reissued on CD!

•This long-overdue reissue also boasts some 15 bonus tracks, taken from all their singles A’s and B’s plus a rare live recording.

•Included are subsequent singles of a more soulful persuasion, such as their dynamic cover of Bob & Earl’s ‘Harlem Shuffle’, the first of a string of singles fronted by charismatic American R&B vocalist Lucas.

•Mike Cotton has cooperated fully with this release, providing quotes for the sleeve-notes as well as images of rare photos and cuttings.

•Among the various line-ups of The Mike Cotton Sound were Dave Rowberry (later in The Animals), Jim Rodford (later Argent, The Kinks) and Derek Griffiths (ex-Artwoods).

Please Note: This title is released 19th January 2015 and will not be dispatched until this date.

•THE BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM LEGENDARY AMERICAN GRAMMY NOMINATED VOCALIST BETTYE LaVETTE

•PRODUCED BY GRAMMY NOMINATED PRODUCER JOE HENRY

Bettye LaVette is a true legend with a musical career spanning over 50 years, she is now rightly recognized as one of the finest vocalists and one of the great interpreters of song. In Bettye’s amazing career she has performed for Barack Obama at his 2009 Presidential inauguration, (duetting with Jon Bon Jovi) and sang a moving interpretation of "Love Reign O’er Me” at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to The Who (which brought Pete Townshend to tears and stunned Roger Daltrey). Her discography spans five decades, but it is within the past decade that she has finally been recognized as one of America’s finest vocal talents.

In 2005 she recorded the album I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, which was produced by Grammy nominated producer Joe Henry, (hailed as one of the best albums of the year by many critics). Joe Henry now reflects; "I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise confirmed Bettye’s standing as a soul and blues singer nearly without peer, and evidenced for many what had for so long been hidden in plain sight. No matter the public perception, Bettye refused the term "comeback,” of course, in regard to her newfound recognition, owing to the simple fact that she had gone nowhere from which returning was necessary: she’d been here all along”. Two more fine albums followed, both of which were nominated for Grammy Awards: The Scene Of The Crime in 2007 and Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook in 2010.

Now, after almost a decade, the legend that is Bettye LaVette has teamed up with producer Joe Henry once again and the result is a stunning new album, Worthy, featuring 11 songs composed by writers such as Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Mickey Newbury, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Mary Gauthier(who wrote the album title track) and Joe Henry among others. As Joe Henry states; "With every song on Worthy, Bettye finds the thread that first will unravel it. Then she stitches it all back together until it fits her taut frame and fierce stride, until it bends to meet her; until each song’s story is somehow, miraculously, telling her own”. Worthy is a supreme achievement from a uniquely gifted performer.

Please Note: This title is released 26th January 2015 and will not be dispatched until this date.